Anton Arensky - Piano Concerto Op. 2 (audio + sheet music)

Arensky was still studying at the St. Petersburg Conservatory when he began work on this concerto, but had taken a teaching post at the Moscow Conservatory by the time he finished it. The concerto is a bridge or transitional work in another way: the piano writing closely imitates the style of Chopin, but some of the orchestral writing is thoroughly Russian; the opening tutti, in fact, may well have influenced the beginning of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Despite the bold statement that launches the first movement, Allegro maestoso, and the bravura octave passages with which the piano introduces itself, the movement is largely lyrical and tender. The heroic, pounding, chordal first theme soon gives way to highly ornamented cantabile melodies hinting at a Russian folk song (particularly when appearing in the orchestra) but basically inspired by the style of Chopin’s two concertos. A broader, louder, confident theme also figures into the mix, punctuates the movement’s development section (which favors the Chopin-esque material), and dominates the final bravura pages. The second movement, Andante con moto, features a somber melody first intoned by horns on a bed of strings, then freely developed and rhapsodized upon by the piano. Certain moments here strongly evoke the slow movement of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, without ever directly quoting a theme or relying on passages that are excessively derivative. Three examples: the occasional glittering cascades of notes, the entire climactic episode about two-thirds of the way through the movement, and the following duet with clarinet (replacing Chopin’s bassoon). The third movement, Allegro molto, is the most strongly Russian part of this concerto, but then the final movements were the most Polish of Chopin’s concertos. In 5/4 time, the orchestra and piano belt out a descending four-note motif that serves as the melodic and rhythmic foundation of most of what is to come. It’s a potpourri of colorful, happy episodes in a structure that fuses elements of rondo and variation. The fast, crashing finale again anticipates the corresponding portion of Rachmaninov’s first concerto. (AllMusic) Please take note that the audio AND the sheet music ARE NOT mine. Change the quality to a minimum of 480p if the video is blurry. Original audio: Original sheet music: